The company has announced that it will seek certification under the International Water Stewardship Standard, also known as the AWS Standard, for its San José Chiapa site in Mexico. This move makes Audi the first premium auto manufacturer to join the AWS, which is a global coalition of companies, NGOs, and the public sector dedicated to water stewardship throughout the value chain.
Audi has long been focused on economical and efficient water use in its Mission:Zero environmental program. The company aims to keep its own water consumption as low as possible and eventually stop using drinking water in production. By 2035, the company anticipates that ecologically weighted water consumption per vehicle produced will decline by about half at Audi’s five production sites, reducing from 3.75 to roughly 1.75 cubic meters (990 to 462 gallons). Additionally, Audi and its suppliers are committing to economical water consumption throughout the entire supply chain.
According to Dirk Grosse-Loheide, Member of the Board of Management for Procurement and IT, “As a manufacturer, we have an obligation to ensure that we manage valuable resources diligently and sustainably throughout our value chain. Our commitment to the AWS network is based on membership and cross-sectoral collaboration with its industry-leading companies. At the same time, it also offers an important platform for exchanging ideas with other corporations.”
The AWS Standard is an internationally recognized framework for companies and organizations that want to use water as efficiently as possible and pay heed to all the relevant interest groups in the particular watershed areas. Successfully implementing the standard means improving local social, ecological, and economic aspects. The AWS emphasizes a water stewardship approach, which includes and goes beyond water management to address water concerns across five outcomes: good water governance, sustainable water balance, good water quality status, important water-related areas, and safe water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH).
Audi's San José Chiapa plant in Mexico is in the process of being certified by the AWS. This will be the first Audi site to be audited by the AWS. The audit will examine water management at both the site and catchment levels, asking important questions like where water consumption can be reduced, how to prevent water pollution and how to ensure that other parties, such as local farmers, will not be harmed. Apart from direct water consumption in production, it also has a lot to do with sustainability within the supply chain. “Manufacturing batteries, metals, and glazing uses a lot of water,” says Marco Philippi, Head of Procurement Strategy at Audi. “That’s why we want to use our participation in the AWS to develop effective solutions and implement them together with our suppliers, particularly in regions with high water stress.“
Audi’s newest location in San José Chiapa is already a pioneer in economical use of water as a resource. Since 2018, the plant has produced cars completely water-discharge-free. With this latest move, Audi is demonstrating its commitment to sustainable water management and leadership in the automotive industry.
Source: Audi
